It Was A Great Run...

After more than nine years at Meta, most recently as the head of global sports media partnerships, I will be leaving the company as a part of the most recent #metalayoffs. 

Those years have been full of innovation and transition within the sports industry, and it was my great pleasure to be a leading advocate for how technology can bring people closer to their passion of sports. 

I came to Facebook before the platform had a video player.  I recall pitching posting video natively to ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, and so many other great publishers in those early days.  We now live in a world where people can access highlights of their favorite teams, leagues, and athletes instantly and around the clock.  Social media has also broadened the access to sports, allowing for women’s sports to get a strong footing in front of its fan bases, allowing new leagues in niche areas to become more accessible, and allowing fans to congregate virtually to celebrate and debate any sports topic. 

When we launched a Live video player, partnerships with FOX Sports and Univision brought live Champions League and Liga MX matches to US Sports fans.  A major partnership with CBS Sports unlocked college football and college basketball games for Facebook Watch.  My personal highlight was the first exclusive streaming deal with a major US sports league with Major League Baseball (the Mets are 2-0 in exclusive games on Facebook).  In hindsight, we were ahead of the curve when bringing live games to a digital audience, something that’s becoming increasingly commonplace today.

The last few years have allowed me to learn a great deal about the metaverse and virtual reality.  Our partnership with the NBA has proven that there is an incredible experience to be unlocked by broadcasting live sports in VR.  Watching the PGA Tour and Golf Plus partner to make a live sports event interactive- empowering fans to compete against professional athletes is also a recent highlight. 

I had the opportunity to see how our technology can influence sports around the globe.  The highlights were most definitely the great people I worked with, both in the industry and certainly within the company.  Meta is a special company full of great people.  However, for the last few years I have had a definite itch to be closer to the sports industry where I can make a broader impact.  Over the next few weeks, I will enjoy time with my family and recharge my batteries some.  The days after that will be an exciting pursuit of what’s next.